Qatar PM describes fallout of US-Israel war on Iran as ‘earthquake’

Qatar’s prime minister used remarks at a New York forum to highlight what he described as wide-ranging economic and security consequences from the US-Israel war on Iran. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said the conflict amounted to ‘‘an earthquake’’ whose reverberations have challenged assumptions about regional stability and raised questions about energy, shipping and investments. He argued that durable security in the Middle East requires a framework that respects state sovereignty and prevents any state from posing threats to another. Sheikh Mohammed warned against ‘‘cycles of escalation’’ and called for addressing root causes of tension to rebuild confidence between states. As part of a domestic response, the prime minister announced a planned shift in Qatar’s investment approach, committing more than $38 billion to infrastructure projects over the next five years. The spending, he said, is intended to attract private investors and demonstrate Qatar’s resilience amid regional disruption. Qatar’s foreign ministry also said its mediation efforts are continuing to try to revive talks between Tehran and Washington to help end the US-Israel war on Iran. Reporting noted the message is likely to feature again when Gulf leaders meet US President Donald Trump during the UN General Assembly later in the week.